Let me explain to you the concept of Niacin: Shred without a Guitar. First, you got the great John Novello rippin' on the Hammond B3, then you have the phenomenal Dennis Chambers wailin' on the drums, and last but not least, the amazing Billy Sheehan shredding on the Bass. Sound appealing? It is! Very. Sound weird? It is that as well, but it's also great in its own way.

John Novello's Hammond B3 is the anchor of the music, and he shows us exactly why on tracks like "Best Laid Plans," "Sugar Blues," and "Bootleg Jeans." His playing is very unique and his approach is very inventive. Sometimes you're left wondering how the hell he can play like that. The man is a genious. Billy Sheehan is all over this record; can this guy get any better? "Panic Button," "Swing Swang Swung," and "Klunkified" are highlights for Billy although he's rippin' throughout the whole album. Dennis Chambers proves why Billy Sheehan calls him the best drummer he's ever played with, and that's quite a statement. If you listen to Dennis on this record you'll know why: the guy's an incredible drummer.

The album also features a couple of goodies. A rippin' cover of Van Halen's "Mean Streets" is a different, but pleasant surprise with Billy and Novello paying tribute to Eddie Van Halen's solos in their own unique way. Another surprise is the song "Things Ain't Like They Used To Be" (MetalGod's Pick) which features the great Steve Lukather on lead guitar and one Glenn Hughes on lead vocals. This song totally wails!! It's reminiscent of Gary Moore's "Still Got The Blues." Hughes gives an emotive, ballsy performance and Lukather shreds away on the powerful, bluesy solos. And if that's not enough, you also get the Bonus Track "Bluesion" which I don't think I have to tell you about, given it's title. Hearing this record really makes me look forward to seeing Niacin live!!

Overall, Deep is an amazingly fun record with some great musicianship. Definitely pick it up!

Reviewed by MetalGod

Visit the Official Billy Sheehan Website at www.billysheehan.com

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